Pinocchio then set off running, in hopes that he should reach the Fairy’s house before dark.  But before long he began to suffer so dreadfully from hunger that he could not bear it, and he jumped into a field by the wayside, intending to pick some bunches of Muscatel grapes.  Oh, that he had never done it!

He had scarcely reached the vines when crack—­his legs were caught between two cutting iron bars and he became so giddy with pain that stars of every color danced before his eyes.

The poor puppet had been taken in a trap put there to capture some big polecats which were the scourge of the poultry-yards in the neighborhood.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXI

PINOCCHIO ACTS AS WATCH-DOG

Pinocchio began to cry and scream, but his tears and groans were useless, for there was not a house to be seen, and not a living soul passed down the road.

At last night came on.

Partly from the pain of the trap, that cut his legs, and a little from fear at finding himself alone in the dark in the midst of the fields, the puppet was on the point of fainting.  Just at that moment he saw a Firefly flitting over his head.  He called to it and said: 

“Oh, little Firefly, will you have pity on me and liberate me from this torture?”

“Poor boy!” said the Firefly, stopping and looking at him with compassion; “but how could your legs have been caught by those sharp irons?”

“I came into the field to pick two bunches of these Muscatel grapes, and—­”

“But were the grapes yours?”

“No.”

“Then who taught you to carry off other people’s property?”

“I was so hungry.”

“Hunger, my boy, is not a good reason for appropriating what does not belong to us.”

“That is true, that is true!” said Pinocchio, crying.  “I will never do it again.”

At this moment their conversation was interrupted by a slight sound of approaching footsteps.  It was the owner of the field coming on tiptoe to see if one of the polecats that ate his chickens during the night had been caught in his trap.

His astonishment was great when, having brought out his lantern from under his coat, he perceived that instead of a polecat a boy had been taken.

“Ah, little thief,” said the angry peasant, “then it is you who carries off my chickens?”

“No, it is not I; indeed it is not!” cried Pinocchio, sobbing.  “I only came into the field to take two bunches of grapes!”

“He who steals grapes is quite capable of stealing chickens.  Leave it to me, I will give you a lesson that you will not forget in a hurry.”

Opening the trap, he seized the puppet by the collar and carried him to his house as if he had been a young lamb.

When he reached the yard in front of the house he threw him roughly on the ground and, putting his foot on his neck, he said to him: